Weightless
by Lenena
Summary: When Midoriya Izuku inherits the quirk from All Might, he decides to keep his identity a secret, becoming the anonymous No. 1 Hero. Of course, in the world of Heros, he knows who the No. 5 Hero, Uravity is. Uraraka Ochako is like the rest of the world, curious of who the man behind the mask is. But what happens when she falls for her new neighbor, the sweet and shy Izuku?
1. Chapter 1

The blast of fire missed Uravity's helmet by mere centimeters. She cursed under breath. She couldn't let this villain get the best of her. She was well into her career at 27 years old. She just needed to get close enough to the villain to get her hands on him. But his fire quirk was forcing her to battle from a distance.

"Uravity! We've called for backup to help evacuate!" The police dispatch sounded off inside her helmet.

"Roger! Just give me a little more time." She needed speed. The quirk restraints were banging against her hip as she ran at full throttle. With one last push, she used her quirk on herself, launching faster than she could run. She kept her feet close to the ground to release and float to change directions. Using the smoke and her momentum she was able to dart around faster than the villain could see. Finally, she reached the wall adjacent to the villain and, pushing off with both feet, flew head first toward the villain. She took his left arm, using her momentum to swing him above herself. She released herself and made him float immediately after. With her weight and gravity against the villain, Uravity slammed him into the ground ten times harder than regular combat. With the breath knocked out of the villain, Uravity restrained him easily.

"Looks like you've got things under control," a voice called out to Uravity as she lifted the villain easily with her quirk. She looked up to see another Pro-Hero walking through the smoke. She recognized the mask instantly.

"Deku? They sent you to help? Is the evacuation complete?"

"Yeah, I got the rest of the residents out and came to see if I could help you." He looked at the villain she was holding at her waist. "But I should've known you wouldn't need it."

"Tch, thanks. What are you doing here, in Mei? I thought you were in Tokyo?" Uravity asked as she reached where Deku was standing. She could only see his green eyes and the beginning of freckles through the mask. He shrugged.

"I was in the area and I responded to the call." Uravity nodded and made her way towards the police.

To say the two had met before would be putting it lightly. They had fought together so many times she knew who Deku was. Uravity liked to think they were friends. As the number one hero, Deku seemed to be everywhere and anywhere. Being the number five hero, Uravity kept her presence limited to her home prefecture, national emergencies, and the occasional international mission. Uravity, had attended the number one hero school, U.A. High. She worked hard to make a name that would help her to a position to support her parents. And while most people went to established hero schools, Deku came out of nowhere, keeping his identity hidden. There were so many secrets around Deku that led to plenty of speculation from civilians and Pro-Heros. People wondered how he was even able to apply for his provisional license as a teen. Or how he even managed to get his actual license as an adult.

According to some rumors, his family was super rich and paid off the government. Other rumors said that he probably had a mind control quirk that went up to the entire chain of government. Some even said he was secretly a villain! None of this made sense to Uravity because she knew Deku. They had fought together, trusting each other with their lives. Uravity could see that being a Hero wasn't a job for him. It was who he was at his core. Deku had helped her save her parents once. So, how he became a Hero wasn't an issue. She was just a little curious.

On the other hand, everyone knew who Uravity was. Uraraka Ochako's identity had been known since day one. People even knew where she lived. She was lucky enough that most of her fans were really considerate and never really crowded her out of uniform. She was grateful for them and her job, loved being a Hero. After she handed the villain over to the police, she turned to Deku who had been silently following her.

"Well," she started a bit awkwardly, "Thank you for helping out." She smiled and held out her hand. He took her hand and shook, maybe lingering a little longer than necessary.

"Of course, Uravity." Although she couldn't see it, she could hear the smile in his voice. She returned it with a smile of her own.

"Maybe we'll team up again soon," Uravity said if not a bit shyly. Deku nodded and took a small step back.

"Till next time," he said before turning away. Uravity watched his back before going back to her agency to write up her official report.

It was well past midnight when Ochako finally made it to her apartment. As soon as she finished her report another call came in. It was nonstop. Of course, she was happy to do her job but it left her so very tired. Shifts were 48 hours with 48 hours off in between. Heros slept whatever they could at the agency while on duty. If something major happened and more Heros were needed, those off duty would be called in. Ochako always had her name at the top of the on call list. She usually wouldn't go more than a day before being called back in. This didn't include incidents that she would just happen upon. But that night she hoped she could have both days.

She had a stack of paperwork in her left arm, holding her helmet by her fingertips. And her keys in her right hand were desperately trying to find the doorknob. She fumbled around for a few moments and lost her grip on the paperwork. Trying to catch it, she ended up dropping her keys and her helmet. She sighed and slumped her shoulders. Ochako stood there for a second thinking of reasons why sleeping in the hallway wouldn't be so bad.

"Do you need help?" A soft voice brought her out of her pros and cons list. She looked to her right to see a man in casual clothes, a few inches taller than her with a concerned look on his face. His green hair was wild and probably hadn't been brushed. Ochako only noticed his freckles. She sighed and rubbed her eyes before answering.

"Yeah, thanks. Just a bit tired." She tried to smile but her eyes took a second too long to open. The stranger took a step towards her.

"I'm Midoriya Izuku. I moved in next door yesterday." He reached out his hand. Ochako took it sleepily.

"Ah, explains why I haven't seen you," she said slowly, the fatigue coming in fast and strong. Izuku smiled before reaching down to pick up her things.

"What's your name?" He asked, standing back up. He handed her the paperwork and helmet before unlocking her door.

"Um. Uraraka Ochako," she said in shock that he had picked everything up for her. He opened the door a little before holding out her keys. Ochako took them slowly and, once she had them, he took a few steps back. Ochako was too tired to notice the bags under Izuku's eyes or his own pile of paperwork outside of his door.

"Have a good night," he said with a small smile.

"Uh, thanks. You too." Ochako quickly returned the smile before going inside. _He's nice_, she thought and was asleep before she reached her bed.

Izuku retrieved his own pile of paperwork before heading into his apartment. Most of his things were still in boxes. He had his bed set up and a few kitchen items unpacked but that was it. He sighed and moved a few boxes out of the way on his counter to make room for the pile of paper. Being the number one hero was incredibly exhausting. Due to his quirk being handed down from the great All Might he had decided to keep his identity a secret. After All Might's battle with All for One and his own epic battle with Shigaraki and the League of Villains, he knew he had made to right decision to protect himself, his mother, and All Might. In the last battle with the League, they had gone after family members. He remembered the relief when his mother wasn't included. But, he also remembered Uravity's initial reaction. He had been standing next to her when Shigaraki revealed he had her parents. Izuku had seen people scared before. Hell, he had even been scared himself. But the look of pure fear of Uravity's face was something he could never forget.

He shook his head and reached for his phone that he had left at the apartment. There were a few messages from his mother and All Might both wishing him a happy birthday. Izuku looked at the date and realized he had completely missed his own birthday. He couldn't believe that he was the new symbol of peace at 28 years old. Flopping onto his bed, he let out a big sigh. He had moved to the Mei prefecture knowing full well that Uravity had this place down pat. She kept the peace just as well as he did. In all honesty, he was hoping for a break. He had been fighting the most dangerous villains for almost ten years now. He hoped that taking down lesser villains and some rescue work would be a nice break from constant life-threatening situations. He knew that other Heros were more than capable of handling them. It didn't stop him from feeling guilty but, remembering a conversation with All Might brought him back to himself.

"You deserve a break, Izuku," he muttered to himself, fatigue setting in. "You're not quitting, just recuperating. Yeah, just a break…." he muttered himself to sleep.

The next day, Izuku made a cup of coffee and went to stand on his balcony. The morning air was losing its bite and the warmth of the sun told him the day was going to be hot. The smell of bacon made its way to his nose and he looked to his left. Stepping out onto her own balcony in frog slippers was Ochako with a plate of breakfast. He didn't even know he was hungry until he saw her food. Ochako didn't see him until she sat down at her small table.

"Oh," she said with a shock. "Good morning. Are you my new neighbor?" Ochako asked with a smile. Izuku smiled back realizing that she didn't remember last night. He didn't know that the number five hero would be so tired.

"Uh, yeah," Izuku started, "Looks like we both got a late start." He lifted his cup of coffee in a toast. Ochako followed his move with her glass of orange juice. It was already 10 AM.

"I'm Uraraka Ochako. You can call me Ochako, though."

"I'm Midoriya Izuku. You can call me Izuku."

"It's nice to meet you. You're a lot younger than I was expecting. Most people in this building are kinda old."

"Mm, I know. I kinda wanted a building that was pretty quiet, you know?" Ochako struggled to swallow her eggs to respond quickly.

"I do!" she choked out. "I need quiet to sleep." It was then she noticed his lack of food and stood up. "Have you eaten?" The question caught Izuku off guard.

"Um, no?" Ochako shook her head at his response.

"Do you want some breakfast? I can whip some eggs pretty easily." Izuku stared at her. If she didn't feel embarrassed at first, his stare definitely brought the blush out. "I mean obviously if you don't want to or you're not hungry that's cool," she quickly followed up, averting her eyes. Izuku broke out of his stare and shook his head. _You need to make friends, Midoriya, _All Might's voice reminded him. Maybe accepting her offer would be the first step in taking his break?

"Um, if it's not too much trouble," he started quietly. "I'd love some breakfast actually." Izuku has seen Uravity's eyes shine bright with a plan or a well-executed combat move. But Ochako's eyes were almost too different to be the same person. The way her eyes lit up at his acceptance was like a child on Christmas. He could've sworn he just gave her the lottery. She practically jumped out of her seat, her hands in fists that were harmless for once.

"Do you wanna come inside? Or do you wanna stay there?" Inside? Her home? Izuku wasn't there yet. His blush was worse than hers.

"Oh-! uh, I- um, out here is fine." He floundered for his words before running his hands through his hair. Ochako smiled, her cheeks calming down. She told him to wait, that it wouldn't take more than ten minutes. She took her own food inside and suddenly Izuku was left alone. _I should tell her I know who she is, _he thought. But then, the question of his line of work would come up. To keep people safe, no one could know about One for All. He didn't have friends because he didn't want anyone to get too close. But a Pro Hero would make a great friend, right? Someone who could protect themselves? All Might had friends who were just regular people. Izuku wondered why it was so hard for him to open up. He was lost in his thoughts when Ochako returned to her balcony with two plates in her hand. Izuku noticed that she hadn't finished her food.

"Careful, it's hot." She used her quirk on the plate of food and gently pushed it towards Izuku. "Do you have a grip on it?" At Izuku's nod, she released the plate. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. Simple. It had been a long while since someone had cooked for him. He usually cooked his own food. And sometimes, it wasn't the best. Ochako waited for Izuku to take a bite before continuing her own food.

"Mm! It's good!" Ochako's blush came back though not as strong. She shrugged staring intently at her bacon.

"It's nothing, really."

"Mm-mm, it's really good. Thank you." Ochako looked up to a melancholic Izuku. "It's been a while…" Ochako knew they didn't have time to unpack _all _of that so she did the next best thing.

"Well, if we're up at the same time, I can make breakfast tomorrow?" Izuku swallowed before answering.

"If you don't mind… Would it be okay?"

Ochako laughed lightly. "Of course, we can be friends."

Izuku smiled, his heart swelling.

"Yeah, friends."


	2. Chapter 2

_I'm so sorry. I got called in._

_~O_

Ochako didn't really have time to wonder if it was weird to leave the post-it note on Izuku's door at four in the morning. She just didn't want him to think that she forgot about him. The rest of their conversation had actually been pretty nice. Ochako could tell that he was lonely. It was written in his eyes, the saddest green eyes she'd ever seen. But, she had bigger problems now.

With her quirk, Uravity was one step down from actual flight. She launched herself from rooftop to rooftop trying to get the to coordinates her agency had given her. She was close enough that she could already see the smoke. An explosion stopped her two buildings away.

"Dispatch, this is Uravity. Fill me in."

"Roger, Uravity. First explosion at 04:07 hours, east side of the 4th floor, apartment 47. It's unknown if they're still alive. Fourth floor and down have been evacuated. But five to eight still have civilians. Count unknown."

"Roger."

"Uravity, this is Firehose," the Pro-Hero sounded off inside her helmet. She had her helmet updated a few years back. And one new feature picked up immediate police radio waves in the area to be able to communicate faster and more efficiently with first responders. "It's a gas fire. My water is working to put out the building but, the gas itself has ignited and other parts of the building are starting to explode."

"Copy." Uravity jumped onto the roof of the burning building. "Dispatch, have a team ready on the northbound building rooftop. Anyone I can find from the top two floors, I'll get them out there. 5 and 6, I'm going to evacuate through windows, have firefighters be prepared to catch. I'll release them all when they're all out."

Uravity kicked the door down pushing through the backlash of heat and smoke. When she reached the eighth floor, she used a second new feature: a microphone. "This is Pro Hero, Uravity. If you're conscience, start yelling." To her despair, only three voices called out. "Dispatch, do have info on the residents, yet?" Uravity started with the door to her left. Empty. She went across the hallway, empty. She was on her third apartment with still no response from dispatch. She cursed as she entered the fourth apartment. Two bodies were lying in the middle of the living room. Uravity worked as quickly as she could, getting them to the rooftop. "Dispatch! I need information now! I'm wasting time checking every home. Which ones are vacant?"

"Im working on it Uravity. It seems like the owner sometimes rented out spaces under the table so it's unknown how many people are actually in there. On record, you should have fifty-three people from five to eight."

53.

She had two.

Fuck.

Another explosion almost knocked her off her feet.

"Dispatch, call for backup."

.

Deku made it to the firefighters' base in record time. It was 04:17 am.

"Deku!" The dispatch officer had never seen the number one hero in person before. Luckily, she was a professional and didn't stumble over her words. "Uravity is in there but she needs help searching for people. We're getting reports for the R.A.'s that more people than we originally thought have evacuated. She's on the 6th floor."

"Roger." Deku's voice was left behind as he took off into the building at lightning speed. "Uravity, this is Deku!" He spoke into the earpiece inside his hood.

"Deku! Thank god. Look, I've got four people in my hands right now but I'm not quick enough to get them out. You're gonna take us to the roof." Uravity braced herself for the impact, trusting Deku completely. She had barely finished when Deku caught up to her, taking all five of them to the roof. "Go back and look for survivors," she told him when he put her down. "Bring them to me and I'll get them off safely," she finished into her built-in radio. By the time she sent down the four she had, Deku had brought up another six. She had to use a little more force to push to civilians to the lower rooftop so that they wouldn't start floating upwards before firefighters could catch them. Deku came back up for the last time with two more people.

"That's it! Let's go!" Uravity took hold the last person she had and the two of them jumped from the building. Just as they landed, a final explosion brought the building down. Uravity turned to the first responders doing their best to save all the people. It was something she couldn't do. Some of them had been breathing in smoke for at least fifteen minutes. There would be no telling if they were going to make it or not. She and Deku had taken out fourteen people, almost half of them were children. A small hitch in her breath caught Deku's attention. He walked to stand by her side. He put his hand on her shoulder. She didn't move. He gave a gentle squeeze, still no response.

"Uravity?" He asked softly.

"Kids…" Deku could barely hear her. He sighed and let go of her shoulder.

"Follow me." He said jumping onto the next building, turning around to see if she'd follow. Uravity looked at him puzzled. Deku had never said anything like that before. He would stay and say good work and what not. But, he never initiated a conversation. She couldn't see his eyes from that distance but she could feel his gaze. Her feet moved without much thought. The two went a few miles away from the sight of the burning building before Uravity spoke up.

"Where are we going?"

"The beach," he said almost nonchalantly. Uravity didn't say much after until they reached the shore. The sky was still dark. The third new feature her helmet had was an internal screen that helped her interpret data from her surroundings. And it also included a clock that told her it was 5:15 am. They stood on the beach a couple of feet apart. For a few moments they watched and listened. Uravity hadn't realized that she was so stressed. She took a few deep breaths with the waves trying to calm down. She sneaked a glance at Deku and suddenly felt very awkward.

"Are you okay?" He asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, I'm okay," she said quietly, hugging her arms. "I've lost people before, it's just that seeing kids is always the hardest, you know? … What about you? You okay?" Deku nodded, looking straight.

"I'm okay. You did the best you could, Uravity. You're always amazing." Uravity felt her face flush at the praise coming from the number one hero.

"Heh, thanks. Also, thank you for helping out again."

"Of course," he playfully nudged her arm. "I think you might be seeing more of me." Was this his personality showing? Uravity had no idea what was going on. Yes, she considered him a friend but, they had never… actually… talked. She looked from her arm to his face back to her arm. _What the hell?_ She thought.

"Oh?"

"I kinda… moved here? I'll be in Mei for a little bit."

"You moved here?" Deku couldn't place the emotion in her voice. And, to be honest, neither could Uravity. There were so many she couldn't identify. Was she grateful? Angry? Scared? Jealous? Deku could almost see every emotion taking turns in her body.

"Is that, okay?" He asked, unsure of what to do with his hands.

"I don't know."

Suddenly his entire plan seemed like a bad idea. Why did he come to Mei? He could've gone anywhere else, somewhere with a hero he didn't know. Hell, he could've gone out of the country. Uravity had worked hard to get to where she was. He knew that. A silence fell between them. They stared at each other for a minute. Turning to face him, Uravity took off her helmet setting it to the ground, not expecting Deku to do the same. The move, however, caught him off guard. Uravity tried to read Deku's eyes through his mask.

"What's your intention, Deku?"

Her eyes were guarded and searching. He sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to take off his mask. His shoulders slumped a little and he took a step forward, surprising Ochako. She unconsciously widened her stance, preparing for anything. His voice was the softest she had ever heard.

"I'm tired, Uravity," he whispered.

In that one sentence, she understood. The constant fighting, the pressure of being a hero, she got it. It was hard on her but it was ten times harder on Deku. She closed the gap between them and placed her hand on his arm. She gave him a small smile, hoping he'd know that she understood.

"Well," she started slowly, "I _could_ use a sidekick."

His laugh was exactly the response he had hoped for. In her returning smile, Deku saw the Uravity he had seen the day before. He saw Ochako.

"I'll be looking forward to working with you, senpai." It was Ochako's turn to laugh, her hands moved to cup her cheeks.

"Don't call me that! That's so weird! Plus," she tilted her head to the side a bit, "aren't we around the same age?" Deku crossed his arms and leaned in to speak by her ear. Ochako stood as still as she could. Deku was too close. Her blush worked its way to her ears.

"I'm older." He told her, his voice low. It was the first piece of real information Ochako had on Deku. And as far she knew, no one else in the public knew this. She took a step back surprise all over her face.

"So, you have to know who I am. _And then_ you _also_ know my birthday?" She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. Deku swallowed hard. It was one thing to know her real name but to know her birthday? Why did he know it? He tried to play it off and shrugged.

"You're the number five hero. I was curious. It was a simple internet search-"

"-Simple internet search, sure sure," she mocked, leaned back and looked him over. She scoffed and shook her head. The number one hero was curious about her? It was the other way around. "Well," she said, patting her hands on her thighs and rocking back on her heels, "how much older?" He held up his hand and wiggled all five fingers.

"Five years!?" Deku chuckled and shook his head. "Five months!?" Deku nodded and laughed as Ochako promptly started to freak out. She ran a hand through her hair. "Shut up! We're the same age!? Five months!?" She walked in a circle, doing the math on her fingers. "You were born in July?" He nodded again, caught up in watching her. "Which day?"

"That's too much information," he said half-jokingly. Her jaw dropped.

"No, no. You don't get to give me half the information. I want your birthday." She stood with her hands on her hips. _Is he trying to be friends?_ The sudden thought caught her off guard. Deku was always alone. He never mentioned friends, or family for that matter. The realization softened her shoulders but, she kept her stance. Deku noticed.

"Has it already passed?" Deku wished his suit had pockets so he could shove his hands in them. He had already decided he was going to take a chance with Uravity. He knew that meant taking a chance with Ochako. He sighed, looked at the ground for a second before returning Ochako's gaze. He nodded and felt bad when her arms dropped.

"Aw, which day was it?" Today's the seventeenth, she thought, so it's in the first half. Deku crossed his arms across his chest, a move that was definitely more shy than the first time.

"The fifteenth…" Why he was blushing he didn't know. He was just grateful that his mask hid it.

"It just passed!" She walked in a circle again, throwing her hands up. There was no way he'd meet her outside of being a hero. And yet. There they were. Not being heroes. And a very clear wall. So, if he was trying to be her friend, she wasn't going to push him away. She let it go. "Happy Belated Birthday, Deku," she said and she meant it. Deku's stance also softened, his shoulders relaxing.

"Thank you, Uravity." She shook her head.

"Call me Ochako." The first rays of sunlight brought their attention to the skyline. "Oh, the sun's up." Deku took one look at Ochako in the morning sunlight and knew why he'd picked Mei. He felt his heart stop as her hair caught the sun to show tints of red in the brown, a lock slipping out of place and into her face. Damnit.

"I'll see you around, Ochako." She wasn't quick enough to see him go but the residual wind tangled her hair. Ochako could feel the disappointment on her face. She figured Deku was a lone wolf type. She never imagined that he was just painfully shy. She looked at the changing colors in the sky again. Picking up her helmet, she made up her mind. If Deku was looking for a friend then, she was going to be the best damn friend ever.


	3. Chapter 3

"He did WHAT?!" Mina spat out her drink.

"I know! Listen-"

"Are you sure this was Deku?" Tsuyu tapped her finger on her chin.

"Yes. I'm sure. Look. Then he-"

"I don't know. Deku is the world's No. 1 mystery." Jirou took a sip of her drink.

"That's so weird. Why you?" Momo stared at her drink trying to think if there was something wrong with her.

"He told me his birthday!" That shut up the entire table. The silence lasted a heartbeat before it erupted into a chorus of "What!?" "When!?" and "There's no way!" Ochako sighed. These were her closest friends. She didn't know who else to talk to. It had been three weeks since she was at the beach Deku. She hadn't seen him since. This friend date had been planned two months ahead since everyone was a Pro-Hero. So, instead of messaging the group chat, she simply waited to tell everyone in person. Though, it had been killing her not being able to talk about it.

"Shush, what happened next, Ochako?" Tsuyu got the table quiet again. Ochako was grateful but, all eyes were on her again. She took a breath before finishing her story.

"Hm," Jirou started. "I never thought Deku was shy."

"Right!? I thought he was this cool, aloof, mysterious hero." Mina talked with her hands and the wavy moves she did with her arms made Ochako chuckle. Mina leaned back into her chair and threw up her arms. "And now you're telling me he has social anxiety?!"

"Tsch, there's a reason though," Momo added. She put her head on her hand. "You guys remember the League," she finished quietly, effectively killing the mood. Every hero in the top 10 was targeted. Everyone had someone important. The only one who wasn't affected was Deku. He was so secretive that not even villains could find anything. At the time, Ochako, Tsuyu, and Jirou were in the top ten. Although they fought, Mina and Momo managed to have their loved ones spared. Ochako looked at Tsuyu. It took years for Tsuyu to even begin to forgive herself. Tsuyu's younger siblings had bared the brunt of the torture being the youngest hostages the League took. They made their statement loud and clear through them. The battle was approaching its nine-year anniversary.

"So," Tsuyu said, trying to shift the conversation, "When is it?"

"I can't say." The quiet response wasn't what Ochako was expecting. Everyone understood.

"Well," Momo started, "As weird as that is, what about this new neighbor of yours?" Ochako felt the blush color her cheeks. She shrank into her shoulders.

"What about him?" Ochako said shyly.

"How about the fact that you said you've gone out to eat every week?" Jirou scoffed.

"It was three times," Ochako said quietly.

"Three times in three weeks?" Mina joined in the questioning.

Ochako didn't know how to respond. Izuku was really sweet! Sometimes they came home at the same time, neither had eaten dinner, and they were too lazy to cook. Food simply tastes better when you're with someone. That's all it was. Though, she wasn't sure if Izuku knew she was Uravity. He hadn't asked her. In return, she didn't feel it was right to ask him. She knew people moved at different paces. So did relationships. They were in the very early stages of a friendship and she wasn't going to push him away. Ochako actually liked not talking about hero work. It was a breath of fresh air. Their conversations were on par with the old ladies on the second floor. He shared his favorite market and she shared her secret to couponing. They also had a bet on how many times the cat lady on the first floor was going to change Ochako's name. Even though she had no problem remembering Izuku's name.

"Have you ever thought that they're the same person?" Tsuyu asked. Ochako couldn't help but laugh.

"No way! They're so different."

"Plus," Jirou added, "Deku's been seen in Osaka recently."

"Hm," was all the response Tsuyu offered.

"You should really ask him was he does for a living," Momo said. "What if he's a perv?"

"Oh my god," Mina said, her eyes going wide. "What if he's an otaku?" The tension in the group dissolved into a series of giggles and laughs. Light-hearted jokes of Izuku being a hero-otaku made their stomachs hurt.

"I bet-" Mina gasped. "-I bet he has an All Might figure."

"No," Momo countered, "He has ten!" The group couldn't control themselves. It took longer than it should've to settle down and even then, residual giggles persisted.

"You guys are mean," Ochako giggled.

"No, we're being honest," Jirou said, pointing a finger. "We need more information."

"Yeah, remember your last boyfriend?" Tsuyu asked. The group collectively shuddered.

"He was weird," Momo said. She tried to take a sip of her drink only to realize she'd finish it.

"The one before that wasn't any better," Jirou chimed in.

"What is this?" Ochako asked but, no one heard.

"Her boyfriend in high school was nice!" Mina tried to defend her.

"It's been almost ten years since we've graduated," Momo said.

"Why are we talking about my boyfriends?" Still, no one paid attention to Ochako.

"Is that all she's had?" Mina asked.

"Yeah, just the three," Tsuyu answered.

"Hey!" Ochako didn't like to yell but this was too much. "Why are we discussing my love life?" The stares she got back made her feel like she had asked if the sun was a star.

"Isn't it obvious?" Jirou asked, finishing her drink.

"We're comparing your past boyfriends to your maybe future one," Tsuyu clarified. Ochako sucked in a short gasp.

"He's not my boyfriend," Ochako murmured.

"Your _maybe_, possible, future boyfriend, Ochako, keep up," Mina said assertively. Ochako didn't know what to say. The conversation eventually moved on to other things and other relationships. Ochako was glad that she had waited to talk to her friends. They always helped her make sense of her life. She was grateful for them. They managed to turn something she had been stressing about into something light and easy. It was a bit of a coincidence that two men had brought themselves into her life at the same time. Though she had known Deku for over ten years, it was like meeting him all over again. And now Izuku was next door being cute. They ordered another round of drinks and continued late into the night.

.

.

.

Izuku helped out a bit in Osaka for a few days. He was too embarrassed to see Uravity after the morning on the beach. His crush on her was small but he wondered what she thought of the whole thing. And then he had gone to lunch with Ochako twice and dinner once. He felt terribly guilty. The way she acted lead him to believe that she didn't suspect he was Deku. He wanted to let her know but, he just couldn't get the words out. He could trust Uravity with his life and the life of millions. And yet, Ochako was different.

"What are you doing with the poor woman?" All Might's voice sounded off in Izuku's phone. Izuku knew he was in for a lecture. Toshinori was using his All Might voice. Izuku sighed, opening his apartment door.

"I don't know. I didn't think this through."

"You, the man who thinks ten steps ahead of the world, didn't _think_ this through?" Izuku groaned. He had thought about it. He had thought about it _a lot._ He could figure out Uravity easily in battle and emergencies. And although he realized his crush was barely more than superficial, it didn't stop him from being curious. And maybe it was because she had made him breakfast the day before the beach that made him do… _that_. He wanted to be her friend. But, now he was two different people!

"I warned you, Young Midoriya." Izuku felt small; All Might only used "Young Midoriya" to prove a point. Damn. "I said, 'Make friends! You can't be this lonely forever!' And then you go and get yourself a crush. And now you're playing with her-"

"-I'm not playing with her," Izuku interrupted.

"No? Then tell her the truth." Izuku bit his lip. His silence told All Might everything. "Young Midoriya," he started again softly. "You _can_ share this life with someone who's a little more… _sensitive_."

"Hm," was all Izuku could offer. There was one other person who knew about Izuku. Katsuki Bakugo coined the name "Deku." And he wasn't happy about it. Over the years they had built a working relationship but, as All Might said, he wasn't the most sensitive. The two had known each other since kindergarten. Bakugo immediately knew who was behind the mask when Izuku debuted as Deku. As abrasive as he was, though, Bakugo still had a heart. He had confronted Izuku as soon as he could and promised to keep his secret. Of course, the confrontation ended with the two of them near death, having beat the living hell out of each other. It also took All Might to step in and stop them. But, that was almost twelve years ago. Bakugo debuted as Ground Zero, decimator of all villains, the Explosion King. Ground Zero and Deku had fought side by side very few times. Ground Zero didn't like to share the spotlight. It was a hard relationship but, Izuku still considered Bakugo as a friend. Bakugo was Izuku's only friend… until Ochako.

"You have to say something sooner rather than later," All Might continued. "If you don't, you lose her as a partner and a friend." Izuku groaned. "She'll feel used. You'll make her feel stupid for trusting you like it was one sick joke-"

"-I get it!" All Might had made his point. "I'm scared."

"Oh, Young Midoriya," All Might stopped using his All Might voice. Suddenly he was just Toshinori. "You could face the worst of villains, stare death in the eyes a million times and none of it would prepare you for this. Opening your heart might be the hardest battle for you, Young Midoriya." All Might waited a few moments. The silence was unusual for Izuku. He had been drawn to Uravity for some time. It had gotten to a point where Izuku would hope that Uravity would be included in big missions or rescues. Maybe it was the fact that Uravity put everything she had into a fight? Maybe it was that she was always the first to volunteer, her courage knowing no bounds? Or maybe, it was how she managed to smile after every mission? And now to be her neighbor? He didn't mean for that to happen and was genuinely surprised to see her that first night. He had just looked for a place that was basically one step down from a nursing home. All Might had to call out Izuku's name twice before he got a response.

"You okay there, kid?" He asked.

"Um. Yeah. I gotta go."

"Okay," was all Toshinori said before hanging up. Izuku tossed his phone onto his bed before tossing himself. He knew All Might was right. Izuku wallowed in his insecurities before accidentally falling asleep...

.

A sharp yell woke him up. He glanced at his phone and saw the time was 3:15 am. Another yell pulled the drowsiness off him. Izuku ran to open his front door. A loud laugh stopped him from rushing out into the walkway. He stood under his threshold to see a drunk Ochako leaning over the rail. Next to her was a woman Izuku had never met outside of uniform. Froppy definitely lived up to her hype as the current No. 3 hero.

"Ochako~ Please," Tsuyu slurred. Izuku realized they were both drunk. And it was not going well. The building was five stories high, built in a "U" shape, with a decent sized courtyard in the middle. They were one the fourth floor, left side.

"Do you think I like him?" Ochako managed to say.

"You don't even know him," Tsuyu responded, yanking on Ochako's arm. The motion swayed Tsuyu, making her lose her balance. Ochako laughed as she tried to catch a slipping Tsuyu.

"Um," Izuku said awkwardly, scaring both women.

"Oh!" Ochako yelped as she covered her face with both her hands and went over the side of the railing. Izuku was fast but, even drunk, Tsuyu was faster, catching Ochako with her tongue. She didn't need much help bringing her back up because Ochako had used her quirk on herself. She kept her face in her hands even as she floated past them becoming an odd Ochako balloon. Tsuyu eyed Izuku standing next to her. _Freckles_, she thought to herself, committing it to memory.

She nudged him, perhaps a little too hard. When he looked at her, she held out her arms, imitating holding someone before losing her balance and swaying Ochako. Izuku understood and nodded. Tsuyu brought Ochako down and into Izuku's arms bridal style. Ochako still had her quirk on herself. Izuku could feel her body trying to float and tightened his grip. Ochako peeked through her fingers and the two of them made eye contact.

"I need sunglasses for how bright you two are blushing," Tsuyu muttered, swaying a little too much. Izuku tried to clear his throat and looked at Tsuyu.

"Do you-" his voice cracked, only adding to his blush. "Do you have her house keys?"

"House keys?" Tsuyu tilted her head to the side.

And then Ochako threw up.


	4. Chapter 4

"Long day, Pacheko?" The old cat lady on the first floor greeted Ochako.

"Yeah," she answered shortly. "Have you seen Midoriya today?" The old lady tapped her finger to her chin and thought.

"I'm pretty sure I saw him leave to the store a little while ago." Ochako breathed a sigh of relief. She really wished didn't remember _that _night. She was incredibly happy that she managed to lean over before throwing up, most of it going over the rail. Tsuyu was able to find Ochako's keys and Izuku helped them inside. She had been avoiding him since. So far, she'd gone five days. With reassurance from the old lady, Ochako dashed up to her apartment and closed her door behind her as quickly as possible. The blush came back as she leaned against her kitchen counter and thought about how Izuku had held her. He was warm. His touch was gentle while his body was firm. Tsuyu had grilled her the day after. Ochako couldn't answer with going bright red. She almost wished that she hadn't been so drunk so that she could experience it properly. Part of her wanted to see him again but, the embarrassment wouldn't let her. She grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and went to stand on her balcony. She leaned her arms on the rail after taking a drink.

"You're not going to throw yourself over, again, are you?" Ochako didn't even want to look to her right. She hung her head to hide her face in shame.

"I'm so sorry," she muttered. "I didn't mean to throw up on you." _Damn that cat lady_, Ochako thought.

"Nah, don't be," Izuku said, really meaning it. "It was definitely a different side of you… How was your hangover?" Izuku chuckled as Ochako groaned.

"It was awful!" Ochako admitted, finally looking at Izuku. His eyes were bright and maybe even… happy? His responding laugh caught Ochako's heart off guard. His hair was wild but framed his face nicely. She wondered what it would look like combed down. Also, had he always been that fit? She thought since she had used her quirk on herself that Izuku wasn't really holding all of her weight. But, now taking a good look at him, Ochako thought otherwise. She reached his eyes, a forest green that threatened to make her lost. _Oh,_ she thought.

"-could've bought you ramen." Ochako barely caught the end of Izuku's sentence. A small smile played at her lips, no longer embarrassed.

"Buy me ramen today, then." The words slipped out without her really thinking them through. Izuku was almost as surprised as she was.

"Yeah?" He asked uncertainly. "Wanna get some ramen?"

"I mean, if you're paying, I'm not going to say no." Izuku had to laugh at that. This was the woman who settled on splitting the bill after he talked her out of paying the whole thing.

"Oh-ho, you'll let me pay this time?" Ochako simply shrugged. She turned to face him, crossing her arms.

"On one condition," she said. Izuku moved to rest his arms on the rail closest to Ochako. His heart was calm. He thought that he'd be more nervous but, no. Being like this with Ochako felt natural.

"Let's hear it," he said, folding his hands. Izuku looked into her eyes and caught hazel flecks that he hadn't seen before.

"Make it a date," Ochako said nonchalantly. The thought that she might be rejected didn't even cross her mind. Izuku's smile reassured her confidence.

"I'll pick you up at eight?" Ochako laughed, being next door neighbors and all.

"Don't be late!" She teased as she walked back into her apartment. Izuku watched her go. He felt lightheaded. He had a date with Ochako! The excitement coursed through his veins.

"How am I gonna do my hair?!" Izuku asked himself before running into his apartment.

.

.

Ochako only had her left eye done when she got the call for back up. The time was 6:30 PM. She didn't have time to worry about how she looked. She didn't even have time to text Izuku either. She rushed out as quickly as she could.

Izuku heard her leave. Checking the time himself, he knew she wouldn't be back in time. It was an odd feeling. Being on the one left behind. Is this how his mother felt? On Christmas? His birthday? _Her_ birthday? Oh. It was agonizing to wait. About thirty minutes later, he checked social media and found a few hashtags trending. #HalfMakeupHero, #HeroMUA, alongside #Uravity. She was trending nationwide at number two.

_-What happened to #Uravity? Is this some kind of statement? #HalfMakeupHero_

_-Her left eye actually looks really good! we stan a Queen! #HeroMUA_

_-This is so sad, #Uravity was probably going somewhere… _

Photos upon photos, plus a few videos, showed Uravity helping police with a drug raid gone wrong. The only thing was that half of her makeup was done. It was good. She had talent. It was just a little juxtaposed. Of course, there were heroes who liked having their makeup done. It made post-fight interviews easier. But, Uravity was never one for that. She didn't think it was important.

Izuku watched a few videos and got caught up in them. Before he knew it, it was 7:45 pm. He wondered if Ochako was back and he hadn't heard her. Izuku put on the outfit he picked out earlier. He took one look at his hair and sighed; it was a lost cause. He stepped out into the walkway at exactly 7:59 pm. He could feel that she wasn't home. Izuku decided that he would knock anyways. She told him not to be late… Just as his knuckles rapped the door, he heard his name. Izuku turned around to see a fully uniformed Uravity floating over the railing. She was a little out of breath and looked a bit unsure of herself.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I tried to make it back on time." Izuku's expression put Ochako's nerves at ease. His soft smile and warm eyes told her that he already knew.

"It's not an easy job," he said. "We can take a rain check if you just wanna rest?" Ochako's heart melted.

"No, no," She said taking off her helmet. "Just give me twenty minutes," she finished with a smile.

_Tell her_, Izuku thought. _Tell her now_. He opened his mouth but, the wrong words came out.

"Yeah, of course!" His heart was becoming increasingly heavy. Ochako said thanks before going into her apartment. Izuku texted All Might before going into his own apartment as well:

_SOS how do i tell her?_

It was ten minutes later, halfway through, when All Might responded:

_just say i'm deku!_

Izuku groaned. He wrote back an entire paragraph detailing how it wasn't that simple only for All Might to reply:

_It is._

Izuku almost yelled. He took some deep breaths, trying to calm down. There were three minutes left.

.

First thing Ochako did was remove her makeup. She congratulated herself on picking an outfit beforehand. She was a bit upset that she wouldn't look the way she hoped but, it couldn't be helped. The main thing on her mind was that Izuku knew. Of course, he knew. The never talked about heroes but, who didn't know who she was? After meeting Izuku, Tsuyu had mentioned that he seemed familiar like she'd seen those freckles before. And there was no denying that Ochako had an easiness with Izuku. They got along really well almost as if they had been friends for years. Ochako, being a romantic, just thought that meant they had known each other from another life. Tsuyu had smacked her for saying that. A knock on her door brought her out of her thoughts. A shy Izuku was standing there, hands in his pockets. When he saw her, his eyes went wide.

"I should've bought you flowers!" He gasped. Ochako laughed softly, grabbing her bag.

"If this date goes well, bring them on the next one." The two walked out of the complex in almost comfortable silence. "Where are we going?" Ochako asked when they made it to the street.

"There's a little stand that I really like. It's not too far." He glanced at her. "If that's okay?"

"I don't mind. Is it the one you mentioned last time?"

"Yeah! Did you try it already?"

"No, I didn't get the chance."

"Well, now I can be there with you."

Ochako felt her cheeks warm up. She didn't know if she should bring up being a Pro-Hero. What if he didn't like Pro-Heroes? What if he was a radical, opposed to government involvement with Heroes? What if he had a personal grudge and that's why he never talked about Heroes? Suddenly there was a whole new perspective that Ochako really hadn't thought about. On the other hand, Izuku was scared to death to ask her about it. He didn't know how to bring it up without bringing up being Deku. He could tell that Ochako was struggling not to ask. And their usually easy-flow conversation was strained.

They got to the stand and ordered. True to her word, Ochako let Izuku pay. They shared some appetizers. But, by the time the ramen arrived, the conversation had died.

"Oh! This is really good! What do you think about me being a Pro-Hero?" Izuku choked on a noddle from her attack. Ochako just couldn't stand it anymore! She didn't like being awkward with Izuku… She waited anxiously as Izuku tried not to die.

"I-" he choked out, the last of the coughs subsiding. "I think it's amazing! I think you're amazing…" _click_. Hearing Izuku call her amazing…

"So," she started slowly. "You're not opposed to Pro-Heroes?"

"What? No, I love Heroes."

"Then why don't you ever talk about them?" Ochako realized that she may have spoken too harshly. Izuku looked away from her. "Is it personal?" She tried again, softer. Izuku faced her, determination in his eyes one second and gone the next.

"Yeah," was all he could say. Ochako gave him a comforting smile, placing her hand on top of his.

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me." Guilt. Lots of it. Izuku felt the full force of it. With the sting of tears. he tried to swallow a sob. Ochako did the only thing she could: she hugged him. He didn't hug back. "There, there," she soothed, patting his back. "We don't have to talk about it. I'm sorry I brought it up. We'll change the subject. It's okay." Izuku buried his face in her shoulder, willing the tears away. The more she comforted him, the worse he felt. Ochako pulled away. She looked into his eyes, _click_. She took a deep breath, put on a smile, and looked at the food. She didn't feel like eating anymore. Izuku couldn't eat even if he wanted to. She sighed.

"Are you done?" She asked pointing at the ramen.

"Yeah," Izuku murmured.

"Let's get out of here," Ochako said leaving a tip. "The shopping district is pretty close; wanna walk around?" She held out her hand. Izuku took it softly at first. Ochako reassured him with a little squeeze. She took it upon herself to fill the silence, talking about anything and everything except Heroes. By the time they reached the first of the shops, Izuku was feeling a lot better. The pair window shopped, hand in hand, for a while. Ochako stopped, tugging on Izuku, in front of a stand selling hats.

"We _really _have to do something about your hair!" If she didn't have a devious smile on her face, Izuku might've thought she was serious.

"My hair?" He asked, pulling on a strand. "Is it that bad?" Ochako laughed.

"It's _so_ bad! May I?" She asked the cashier, pointing at a baseball cap. At their approval, Ochako picked a light blue cap. She ignored Izuku's outstretched hand and reached up to push his hair back with her fingers. Izuku's mind went blank. His hair was much softer than Ochako was expecting. She did it again before placing the cap on, tucking in the locks above his ears as well.

"How do I look?"

"Odd," she laughed.

Before Izuku could look into the mirror on the stand, a large explosion shook the ground. People started running. From a distance, they could see a cloud forming.

"That's not smoke," Izuku said confidently.

"No, it's a gas."

"Most likely poisonous." Ochako spotted a t-shirt stand and ran against the crowd, Izuku on her heels. She grabbed a shirt for her and one for Izuku.

"Tie this around your nose. I need to go in to give on-call Heroes time to respond." All Ochako could see were Izuku's eyes and the beginning of freckles. The last piece fell into place. A heartbeat passed and Izuku knew she knew. Another beat and it was Uravity giving Deku orders:

"Help evacuate. Don't lose the hat or shirt. Let's go."


	5. Chapter 5

Izuku looked back into the miasma. It had been a few minutes since he split up from Ochako. While he completely trusted her ability, he wasn't sure how much damage she had done… or received. Judging by the occasional shakes, Izuku was guessing that there was a villain, or group, of considerable power. About seven minutes after the initial explosion, law enforcement set up a perimeter and medical station. Izuku was taking people and dropping them off about a block away, doing his best not to be seen by officials. If he got caught, he could be fined for using his powers without a permit. And if he did show his permit, his identity would be compromised. He was on his tenth trip, a mother and her son, when a gust of wind cleared the air, taking the shirt with it. Izuku looked up to see a Pro-Hero: Windstorm.

"Citizens! Can you walk?"

"Yeah!" Izuku called back.

"4th and 17th, medical station!" Windstorm left before Izuku could say anything else. He used a very small percentage of his quirk to get the pair to the medic quickly and not draw attention to himself. He knew he wouldn't be able to go back without being in uniform. When the three arrived at the medical station he handed the mother and child to the paramedics. Despite his protests, a paramedic checked Izuku's vitals as well.

"Hey, I heard Uravity was first on the scene." Izuku overheard a nurse speaking.

"What? No way," a second nurse commented.

"Yeah, Takahashi's team went to the battle."

"Oh, damn. Do you think it's bad?"

"Is Uravity okay?" Izuku asked, turning around to face the nurses. The two shared a look before the first one answered.

"Um, I'm sorry. You weren't supposed to hear that. Right now, it's confidential."

"Your heart rate just spiked," the paramedic working on Izuku said. "Try to calm down please."

"I'm fine," Izuku replied shortly, taking off the monitor. He continued to the nurse, "Is Uravity okay?"

"Um. I- I heard she's in transport to a hospital but, I don't know the extent of her injuries."

"Dude, shut up!" The second nurse scolded. "You can't be saying all that!"

"I didn't say where!"

"Both of you shut up! Stop talking and go do something!" The paramedic in charge of Izuku snapped. Izuku didn't wait to see if the nurses did what they were told. He got up and waded through the crowd that had formed at the perimeter. From a distance, he could see Windstorm and two other heroes battling a villain with a poisonous gas quirk. Izuku watched as it took five more minutes for the Pro-Heroes to take him down. The hardest part was not knowing about Ochako. It made watching other Heroes fight easy. Usually, he would've jumped at the chance to be involved. But this time he wanted nothing else than to see Ochako.

.

Ochako sat in the ambulance, patiently letting the paramedics check her. A cut above her eyebrow let the blood run freely into her right eye. Her breaths were short and her lungs stabbed in pain but, she tried to remain calm. She answered the paramedic's questions with nods and shakes of her head, her throat burned too much to speak. She kept her eyes closed trying to concentrate on the sound of the voices around her instead of the pain.

"I know you were off duty; were you by yourself?" Ochako shook her head. "Okay, we can get their name later, see if they're okay." Ochako nodded. She knew Izuku was fine. Though she couldn't actually check, the fact that he didn't try to fight the villain told her that he listened to her. He was safe. If she hadn't been in so much pain, she would've laughed. Here she was, lungs burning, worried about the Anonymous No. 1 Hero, Deku.

Deku.

She almost felt stupid for not seeing it sooner. She was glad she didn't bet Tsuyu on it.

"Is your cell phone still on you?" Ochako shrugged. It was in her pocket last she checked but she couldn't feel anything past the pain in her lungs. "I'm going to pat you down, let me know if anything hurts." The paramedic felt her pockets and, to everyone's surprise, her phone was still there. "Oh, look! You've got a message. Would you like me to read it for you?" Ochako nodded, grateful for the non-stop talking. She could feel tears running down her cheeks, the adrenaline starting to wear off. "It's from… um… Izu Izu? It says: 'Please be okay. Call me.' Is this the person you were with?" Ochako nodded. A burst of pain shot her hand out and collided with the paramedic's chest. They quickly grabbed her hand and held tight. Ochako didn't mean to but a small whimper escaped her lips. "We're almost there, Uravity. Hold on a little longer." She tried to nod but cried instead.

.

.

.

.

_Please call me or text me. I'll explain everything. _

Ochako read the text that was over two weeks old. Izuku had texted her the day after she was admitted to the hospital. She had spent two days in intensive care and then five more in a regular room. She had been home for a week. Thanks to Ochako's quick intervention, most people only needed a few minutes with an oxygen tank to clear their lungs. According to the official report, citizens used their quirks to help each other escape the gas. It was an inspiring news story on the importance of community and humanity. Ochako knew that Izuku must've had something to do with that spin. Not a single person interviewed mentioned him.

Ochako poured some medication into her humidifier. The gas had made her lungs bleed. It ate at her esophagus and eyes. She lied on her couch and dropped a few of the eye drops she had been prescribed. She got the next two months of work. She thought about how she had trended twice that day. Most of the comments were sympathetic. It opened up a conversation about Heroes and their personal lives. On the light-hearted side, people were wondering who Uravity was dating (since it was obviously a date). If it had been anyone but Deku, Ochako would've had fun reading through those. Izuku moved back to Tokyo the day before she was released from the hospital. He had only been in Mei for five weeks. Deku was back and fighting the worst of the worst.

She remembered their conversation on the beach. He had told her. All the clues were right there. Ochako sighed, covering her eyes with her arm. She meant to text him back. But each time she looked at her phone, she hesitated. It wasn't even like she was angry. Just… confused. Time slipped away while she went through her thoughts. There was soft knock from her… balcony? Ochako tried not to be surprised; breathing too hard was still extremely painful. Flinging the curtains open and quickly assuming a defensive stand, Ochako was faced with a fully uniformed Deku. She kept her hands up. Ochako could see the deep breath Izuku took.

In slow motion, Ochako saw Izuku reach for his mask. Her balcony faced a main street. If people already saw Deku here, they could see Izuku, even from four stories up. She flew the door open, yanked Izuku inside, pulled the curtains shut, and then closed the balcony from behind them. She spun around to face him, losing control of her breathing.

"Are you crazy?" She wanted to yell but a sharp pain from her right lung bent her over. She needed to calm down. Izuku rushed to her aid and she let him help her to the couch. She patted the seat next to her. "Sit." He sat. Slowly, Ochako reached up to his mask, lingering her fingers a few centimeters away. Izuku closed his eyes and bridged the gap. Ochako carefully removed the two-piece technology that formed his mask. The top fell between his shoulder blades while the bottom rested at the base of his throat. When Ochako took her hands back, Izuku went a step further and took off the bottom half completely.

"I didn't know that came off," Ochako said nonchalantly. Izuku shrugged.

"It's not supposed to." He tried to smile. It was not reciprocated. "I'm so sorry, Uraraka." The use of her family name stung a bit. Izuku didn't know where he stood anymore with her.

"It's still Ochako," she barely whispered. Watching Izuku's eyes water made her choke up as well.

"Ochako," he whispered back, relief threatening to flood his body. "I'm so sorry." The tears fell freely down his cheeks. She noticed that his hands, fists on his lap, were trembling. She took hold of them.

"I'm not angry," she started, looking into his eyes. "Just confused." He looked away but Ochako cupped his cheek and brought his eyes back to hers. "I've known you for years. Years. Izuku. We're already friends." In her eyes, Izuku found the forgiveness he hoped for, understanding he needed, the companionship he longed for.

It all spilled out.

Everything, from the very beginning: being born quirkless, inheriting One for All, losing All Might, training in secret to be the new symbol of peace, coincidentally moving next door. By the time he got to meeting Ochako, his tears had stopped.

"I really didn't mean to be your neighbor," he said wiping his nose on his sleeve. "I was so scared the first night I saw you."

"Night?" Izuku smiled. "We met in the morning… ?" He shook his head.

"No, uh, we got in at the same time the night before. But, you were basically already asleep trying to open your door."

"That's-" Ochako didn't know what to say. She was stumped, mostly due to the information dump she had just listened to. Her grip on his hand loosened but Izuku was quick to interlock their hands.

"I know this is a lot." Ochako scoffed. If it wasn't for the fact that she was holding his hand just as tightly as he was, he would've thought he was losing her.

"A lot?" She shook her head. "You being Deku is a lot. But, everything else? It's too much." She used her free hand to run her fingers through her hair. "All Might?"

"Yeah, All Might," he said a bit sheepishly. She put her face in her palm.

"We made fun of you," she mumbled into her hand. Without meaning to, a small laugh escaped. "Fricken All Might."

Izuku wasn't sure what she was talking about; he was just a little relieved that she seemed to be relaxing a bit. He nudged her softly.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm processing," she muttered, still into her hand. Izuku nodded even though she couldn't see. Releasing their fingers for a second, Izuku removed his glove so that they could hold hands skin to skin. Ochako felt Izuku's warmth. His hand was strong and calloused. Somehow, different from when they held hands on their date. She was finally putting the two separate personalities into one, realizing that they weren't so different after all. He had always been the same. Izuku had always been Deku just as Deku had always been Izuku. She finally looked at Izuku and asked:

"Can we start over?"

* * *

.

a/n: I'm so sorry this took a while. I've been dealing with some family issues and this kinda got pushed back. Thank you for all your support 3


	6. Chapter 6

Uravity watched the traffic from the top of a skyscraper. International missions were always fun _after_ the bad guys were caught. The landscape was so different from her home in Japan. But, a familiar pair of boots entered her peripheral vision, setting her heart at ease.

"You're late~" she sang. Deku sighed, handing her a plastic bag.

"Apparently, Americans make you wait in line even if you're in uniform." Uravity laughed opening the bad to some cheeseburgers and fries.

"I guess they only care for the super flashy heroes," Uravity shrugged.

"Yeah, well, we helped," Deku said hastily. Uravity playfully nudged him.

"Are you jealous?" She could see his shock through his mask.

"Me? No! Just… they like…"

"Go one," Uravity encouraged with a small laugh. "Say it~" she sang again.

"They like Ground Zero more," Deku murmured quickly, pouting. Uravity couldn't help her laugh as Deku crossed his arms.

"There we go!" She patted his back. "That wasn't so hard!" Deku relaxed at her touch and chuckled with her.

"No," he said reluctantly, "I guess not." He took his half of the food and the two ate in comfortable silence.

"Man, I love burgers from the source," Uravity said, wiping her mouth.

"Mm," Deku agreed, still chewing his last bite.

"Hey!" The pair turned to see a security officer standing at the roof-top entrance to the building. "This is private property. You guys can't be up here!"

"Oh! We're sorry! We're leaving!" Uravity responded in English, picking up their trash. The two of them stood up. Deku gave the security officer a nod.

"Sorry for troubling you," Deku said in English as well, taking Uravity's hand. She gave final wave before casually stepping off the edge with Deku.

The officer rolled his eyes. "Damn heroes," he muttered.

.

The couple combined their quirks to fly across the city in record time. Landing back at the hotel, Ground Zero was waiting for them on his balcony.

"Just cuz you two are public with your relationship now, doesn't mean y'all have to flaunt it!" Ground Zero called out.

"Oh? Does it bother you?" Uravity asked sincerely. Once they had both feet on Deku's balcony, she let go of his hand. Ground Zero scoffed.

"Nah, I'm just saying. You might get the wrong set of eyes looking at you."

"Aw, are you worried about us, Kaachan?" Deku asked putting his hand over his heart.

"Shut up," Ground Zero grumbled, looking away. Any which way he said it, Uravity was touched.

"Don't worry," she said floating to her own balcony. "We won't do anything scandalous."

"Yet," Ground Zero scoffed. Deku had to laugh.

"I appreciate it; I do," Deku said a bit more seriously.

"Yeah, whatever," Ground Zero finished the conversation by going inside.

"Wait," Deku turned to face Uravity, "You're really not coming in?"

"No, not in public view!" She said incredulously. Not giving him a chance to answer, she went inside her own room.

They had just celebrated their first-year anniversary a day before being called into this mission. All it took was a few weeks of dating before making it official. Then there was the hard part of introducing Izuku to her friends. Then there was the harder part of Izuku telling his fellow Pro-Heroes his identity. But then, thankfully, there was the easy part of Ochako meeting Izuku's mother and All Might. And now, of course, was the hardest part of letting the world know who he was.

The couple had just gone public with their relationship a month prior to the mission. There were some very solid theories of who Uravity's boyfriend was. They were lucky Izuku had lived such a low profile life. Still, some people were right, connecting the dots. The whole world was in on it. There was going to be a press conference when they got back to Japan. It was time the world knew. They were still a very hot topic, especially with this international mission. In the American news, however, Ground Zero was taking all the spotlight. Izuku didn't mind the attention being diverted from himself for a little bit.

An hour later, Izuku was in Ochako's room. He sat behind her on the small couch, aimlessly playing with her hair.

"You ready for the conference when we get back?" Ochako asked. Izuku hummed. "It'd be impossible for me to date you if you try to keep this a secret."

"I know," he said, twirling a strand around his finger.

"Are you sure about this?" Ochako tilted her head up, catching Izuku's gaze. He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "You don't have to. We can find another way."

"We talked about this. It's been eleven years since my official debut. I'm ready for this." Ochako took his hand and kissed it. "Do you wanna get married?"

"Yeah, one day," she answered easily and mischievously. Izuku chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"I meant to me."

"Yeah, I know. One day," she said playfully, reaching up to ruffle his hair back.

"We'll be thirty next year," Izuku warned.

"One: don't remind me. My birthday is next month; I'm still 28 for now. And two: So what? We'll be thirty-one the year after. There's no rush." She patted his cheek. "Plus, I want a really grand proposal. So, you need to save up."

"Just a grand proposal? Not a grand wedding?" Izuku chuckled. Ochako shrugged.

"A simple wedding is romantic to me. You know what? How 'bout I propose to you?" Ochako could feel Izuku's laugh more than hear it being pressed against his chest. She turned herself in his lap to rest her head on his shoulder. Izuku promptly wrapped his arms around her. She played with a loose thread on Izuku's shirt. "What about kids?"

"Well," Izuku sighed, "I would like, at least, two…"

"But?"

"But, you know, our lives are dangerous."

"We can handle it. We deserve families too."

"Do you want kids?"

"I want five!" She held up her hand, wiggling her fingers. "I want to fill a house with noise. I want them to play and fight!" Her eyes sparkled, "Could imagine it? Two -or three!- of them coming up to you with the most important fight of their lives and it's a broken toy? And you get to teach them?!" She covered her face with her hands and sobbed, "It's just so cute!"

"Wow, you don't have any issues about being an only child." Izuku laughed and Ochako lightly punched him. Izuku swooped in for a quick kiss on her cheek.

"One step at a time, though. The conference first," she said patting his chest.

"I feel like I can do anything with you," he confessed.

"That's my specialty." Ochako cupped his cheek and brought him down for a deep kiss. She could feel herself floating, losing herself in him.

New chapters of their lives were beginning. A whole mess of media and paparazzi was going to crash down on them. For the rest of their lives. The risk they would take in having children would bear down on them. The guilt, if anything were to happen to those children, would crush them. All that just to add to the pressure of being Pro-Heroes. The responsibility of it all could reduce them down to nothing. Everything that would go wrong, could go wrong. Not without fear, however, they were strong enough to face it. They were Heroes. And, that night, they were weightless.

* * *

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a/n: Thank you to everyone for reading, commenting, and liking my story. I really appreciate all the feedback and support from you all. Thank you for staying with me through this short story. I love all of you! You made this such a great experience. I'm glad I could share my story about these two with you guys. Thank you!


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